"Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him."--_Deut. 13:4._
WHEN the Israelites came into the good land where they were going,
they were to be very careful not to learn to worship idols. For idols
were no gods at all--only wood and stone--and could not hear them
pray, nor give them what they wanted. Besides, the people round them
had very frightful ways of trying to please their false gods. They
had one called Moloch, made of brass, and they used to offer poor
little children up in sacrifice to him, and make a noise with drums
and trumpets, that no one might hear their cries. There was another
god called Baal, to whom they set up great images, and feasted in
his honor; and a goddess, whom they called the queen of heaven, of
Ashtoreth. Women used to offer cakes to her, and dance in honor of her,
for they thought she sent the moon to shine on them.
Now, the Israelites were not to worship any of these false gods. They
were to remember how they heard the Only True God speaking to them out
of the cloud upon the mountain, and telling them, "I am the Lord thy
God: thou shalt have no other gods but Me." And God told them that if
they would worship Him and serve Him, all should go well with them, and
they should be happy and blessed. But if they went after these false
idols, all would go ill with them, and there would be only sorrow and
misery.